Junior
Junior is one of the most mysterious and bizarre characters in the ROD universe. He first meets Anita King early in the ROD TV series, but is quite shy and doesn't interact much with her. At first, he appears to be no more than a typical schoolboy of about Anita's own age. Junior's Role in ROD Junior is actually an agent of the British Library Special Operations Division, retrieving the Gentleman Books for Joker. While on missions, he is known as "Agent J." He also carries a gun and serves as an assassin; one of his first encounters with Anita involves a fight for one of the books in the Nishihama Middle School library. Junior is a 'deep' who can 'phase:' he can make himself intangible to pass through objects or let objects pass through him. This ability is apparently hereditary; Junior is (though he does not know it until late in the series) the son of Ikkyu and Nancy Makuhari, two I-jins. Nancy is a 'deep' herself, and is able to negate Junior's phasing ability; he's unable to phase through her when she holds onto him. Junior is actually six years old, but the British Library copied the I-jin's technology to age him so he is actually a mature twelve-year-old. He is looked after by Wendy Earheart. He has a tracing device inside him so the British Library can keep track of him at all times; at one point he manages to remove it from himself and destroy it, so that it appears to the British Library that he is dead. When he removes the tracing device, however, Junior accidentally injures himself so that he can no longer phase. Junior was taken away from his mother after he was born. Because of his heritage as the child of two I-jin Junior is considered a superior human being, one who will be the perfect vessel for Mr. Gentleman's revival. Junior knows nothing of this plan until it is revealed to him late in the TV series. Appearance and Personality Junior first appears dressed in a typical schoolboy costume, complete with blazer and cap. More usually, he wears a tight-fitting blue jacket and trousers. When on missions for Joker, he sometimes wears a dark mask that conceals the lower part of his face. The oddest thing about Junior's appearance is his hair. This is a blue-gray color, with long straggling locks that fall almost to his waist. Junior's hair and general appearance conform to the Japanese stereotype of the bishounen: soulful and sometimes rather effeminate boys who appear frequently in anime and manga. Like many such figures, Junior is sometimes mistaken for a girl. Late in the series, his hair is cut in a more normal length and style--a change that Junior clearly welcomes. Junior's personality is peculiar. On the outside, he is polite and extremely quiet and reserved. Beneath this placid exterior, however, Junior is lonely, confused, and at times bitterly resentful. He knows nothing of his past or who he really is. Junior has great physical strength and agility and learns information with incredible quickness, but he suffers from a lack of confidence. He is respectful towards Joker, who regards him only as an instrument in his plan. Wendy has some affection for Junior and Junior goes out of his way to please her, yet the two do not really understand each other very well. Except for Wendy, Junior has clearly been starved of human contact while under the British Library's care. Perhaps for this reason, he finds normal human society baffling and mysterious. He is deeply drawn towards the Paper Sisters, and envies their domestic happiness. Junior and Anita become friends and Michelle Cheung becomes something of a mother figure for him. He seems to regard Drake Anderson as a potential father-figure. Yet despite his longing for affection Junior also has a violent streak. He carries out at least one successful assassination and tries to kill both Anita and Nancy. Later on he comes to hate Wendy as well. The revealation of his past (and Joker's plan for him) comes as an utter shock to Junior. He becomes even more confused than before and he is painfully torn between old and new loyalties. He did not know he had a mother, and he turns much of his resentment about his life towards her. He blames Nancy for falling in love with Ikkyu (whom Junior hates) and for hiding away for years with Yomiko Readman. Nancy is very hurt by Junior's anger, but she and her son are reconciled after she rescues him from Joker. Sources and Links This article was based on viewings of the ROD TV series. Category:I-Jin